When SHTF, you may need to bug out of your immediate location. You can do so on foot or in a car, but these two travel methods won’t be good options if many other people in your area are also trying to get away from a disaster on foot or using their own cars.

Consider getting a motorcycle. While it allows you to carry only a limited number of supplies, it has some perks that cars or walking don’t have. Here are three reasons why motorcycles are the perfect bug-out vehicle. (h/t to PreppersWill.com)

Motorcycles offer greater maneuverability

In the event of a natural disaster occurring in your area, you can expect a lot of other people to try to move as far away as possible from the epicenter of the event. Highways, bridges, tunnels and even many side roads will be filled with people scrambling to get out of Dodge. These kinds of heavy traffic situations are perfect for motorcycles. They are small, versatile vehicles that can easily weave through traffic and get you out of the danger zone.

Motorcycles give better gas mileage

The average car can take you about 25 miles per gallon. On the other hand, the average motorcycle can take you between 35 to 40 miles per gallon. This can be higher if you’re driving a fuel-efficient model. If you could carry some one-gallon tanks of gas in your motorcycle, you can further extend your travel distance. In a post-SHTF scenario, there will be long lines at gas stations, so having a vehicle that doesn’t use up too much gas is a great asset.

Motorcycles can traverse difficult terrain and are easier to maintain

Due to the lighter weight, lower wind resistance and strong engines of motorcycles, they can accelerate much faster than most cars. This means you will be able to overtake most vehicles, make it up hills easily, traverse off-road terrain better. This greatly increases your chances of surviving a dangerous situation, if the only thing you need to do to survive is to put some miles between you and the place you’re escaping from. Furthermore, motorcycles are easier to repair and maintain. You may need to learn how to repair your motorcycle, but with some knowledge and basic hand tools, you could get your vehicle up and running quickly. And if you still can’t repair your motorcycle, taking it to the nearest repair shop won’t be much of a hassle compared to driving a car.

Before you go out and get your own survival motorcycle, remember that maintaining any kind of vehicle is a huge responsibility. Furthermore, all vehicles require fuel, so unless you want to try escaping a disaster while running on empty, you should build up a considerable stockpile of gas. Consider your personal situation and figure out how much gas you will need by understanding where you need to go, what routes you should take to get there and practicing driving through your chosen routes. Try driving your bug-out route during rush hour with heavy traffic to get a sense of how difficult it will be to escape a disaster. (Related: Missouri company invents amazing survival moped that could help you bug out on a gallon of gas.)

If you invest in a motorcycle now, you can avoid traffic jams and long lines at gas stations. You will be able to traverse steep hills, off-road and other difficult terrain. If you practice bugging out with your motorcycle, you could potentially have a better chance of surviving any disaster.

Sources include:

PreppersWill.com

BusinessInsider.com

Auto.HowStuffWorks.com

SurvivalSullivan.com